Gift Cards and Gift Certificates

Gift cards and certificates are an excellent way to get new and existing customers into your store, and PayGo makes the selling and application of gift cards and certificates simple.

What’s the difference between a gift card and a gift certificate?

Gift cards and gift certificates are very similar, with just a few minor differences. A gift card is typically an item that has a set dollar range and its own serial number, just like gift cards you can purchase at any big box or department store. A gift certificate, on the other hand, is a little bit more personal. A gift certificate is typically generated on the spot; it can be personalized, purchased for nearly any amount of money, and you can set up your PayGo system to print it out with a customer’s receipt.

How do I set up Gift Certificate sales in my system?

It’s worth noting that gift cards and certificates are already set up and ready to sell as items in your PayGo system. The default Gift Certificate Item ID is 994, and the default Gift Card Item ID is 999.

You do have the option of changing how you manage your gift certificate sales and tracking; more specifically, you can either have your PayGo system handle printing and managing gift certificates, or you can use your own system. To change this preference, click on the Workstation Setup button on your Menu Screen. From there, click on the Invoice tab. In the Invoice Settings box, you will see line 10, which will ask you to set your Gift Certificate Type. You have two choices in the drop-down box: PayGo or External. If you choose PayGo, your system will handle all printing and management of gift certificate serial numbers. However, if you have pre-printed gift certificates, or you would like to track your own serial numbers for gift certificates, then select External.

Selling a Gift Card

From your Sales Screen, search for a gift card in your Search Inventory field (the default Gift Card Item ID is 999).

When a gift card is selected, a pop-up window will ask you to enter a serial number for the card. Once that is entered, another pop-up window will ask you how much the gift card will be sold for.

After all information is entered, you will be directed back to your Sales Screen, where you can either continue adding inventory to the invoice or complete the sale.

Selling a Gift Certificate

From your Sales Screen, search for a gift certificate in your Search Inventory field (the default Gift Certificate Item ID is 994).

When selected, window will pop up asking you to fill out the gift certificate’s amount. If you want, you can also add who the certificate is from, who it is to, and an optional message, but it’s not required by the system.

NOTE: if you have selected an External tracking system for your gift cards and certificates in your Workstation Setup, a dialog window will pop up requiring you to scan or type the serial number of the gift certificate before it is added to the sale.

After all information is entered, you will be directed back to your Sales Screen, where you can either continue adding inventory to the invoice or complete the sale.

If you are using the PayGo internal gift certificate system, it will print a copy of the gift certificate after your receipt prints (if you have elected to use External gift certificates/cards, nothing will print).

How do I apply a gift card or certificate to a transaction?

In your Sales Screen, hit the Redeem GC button located with payment types. A pop-up window will appear and ask to enter or scan the gift certificate or gift card number. Follow those instructions, and the balance on the gift card or certificate will be applied to the transaction.